Narrative:

I preflted an small aircraft that I was renting from FBO which is located in chandler, az. Everything was in order with the preflight so I proceeded to taxi to runway 4R. The wind was calm as I made my first 3 touch and goes. On the fourth one, as I was landing in the 3 point confign, a gust of wind from the north picked up the left wing. As I corrected for the gust, the plane became unstable and began to skid sideways across the runway. This sideways skidding became so severe that I could not control the plane. It was at this time that I decided to abort the landing and try to go around. I applied full throttle and straightened the nose of the plane out in order to become airborne. At this juncture, the plane was completely on the south side of the runway and speedily approaching an oversized runway sign that was on the side of the runway. I was unsuccessful in becoming airborne before I reached the large sign and subsequently the plane ran into it. The landing gear, propeller, and the left leading edge were damaged. I immediately exited the plane and contacted xx who is the owner of FBO and then contacted the FAA and informed them of the incident. After talking extensively with xx about my incident, he informed me that he has, on several occasions, asked the city of chandler to remove the oversized, cumbersome and visually useless signs off of the side of the runways. Apparently, he has talked upon deaf ears as the huge signs are still there. I am further investigating these signs that the city of chandler would not remove as it is my belief that the city of chandler should be held responsible for this incident. If the signs were normal and smaller, this incident would have never occurred, and the only thing that would have been damaged was my pride, and not the plane. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states there has been no follow up by FAA at this point. He is extremely upset and is considering action against the city as they have been asked many times by the FBO to remove these signs. Signs are placed about halfway down the runway and serve no real purpose at that position. They are about 3 ft high and create a safety hazard. FBO has warned that some day an aircraft would be damaged in just such an incident as occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HIT BY WIND GUST, VEERS OFF RWY, HITS OVERSIZED SIGN ON SIDE OF RWY.

Narrative: I PREFLTED AN SMA THAT I WAS RENTING FROM FBO WHICH IS LOCATED IN CHANDLER, AZ. EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER WITH THE PREFLT SO I PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO RWY 4R. THE WIND WAS CALM AS I MADE MY FIRST 3 TOUCH AND GOES. ON THE FOURTH ONE, AS I WAS LNDG IN THE 3 POINT CONFIGN, A GUST OF WIND FROM THE N PICKED UP THE L WING. AS I CORRECTED FOR THE GUST, THE PLANE BECAME UNSTABLE AND BEGAN TO SKID SIDEWAYS ACROSS THE RWY. THIS SIDEWAYS SKIDDING BECAME SO SEVERE THAT I COULD NOT CTL THE PLANE. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I DECIDED TO ABORT THE LNDG AND TRY TO GAR. I APPLIED FULL THROTTLE AND STRAIGHTENED THE NOSE OF THE PLANE OUT IN ORDER TO BECOME AIRBORNE. AT THIS JUNCTURE, THE PLANE WAS COMPLETELY ON THE S SIDE OF THE RWY AND SPEEDILY APCHING AN OVERSIZED RWY SIGN THAT WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE RWY. I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN BECOMING AIRBORNE BEFORE I REACHED THE LARGE SIGN AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE PLANE RAN INTO IT. THE LNDG GEAR, PROP, AND THE L LEADING EDGE WERE DAMAGED. I IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE PLANE AND CONTACTED XX WHO IS THE OWNER OF FBO AND THEN CONTACTED THE FAA AND INFORMED THEM OF THE INCIDENT. AFTER TALKING EXTENSIVELY WITH XX ABOUT MY INCIDENT, HE INFORMED ME THAT HE HAS, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, ASKED THE CITY OF CHANDLER TO REMOVE THE OVERSIZED, CUMBERSOME AND VISUALLY USELESS SIGNS OFF OF THE SIDE OF THE RWYS. APPARENTLY, HE HAS TALKED UPON DEAF EARS AS THE HUGE SIGNS ARE STILL THERE. I AM FURTHER INVESTIGATING THESE SIGNS THAT THE CITY OF CHANDLER WOULD NOT REMOVE AS IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE CITY OF CHANDLER SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS INCIDENT. IF THE SIGNS WERE NORMAL AND SMALLER, THIS INCIDENT WOULD HAVE NEVER OCCURRED, AND THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGED WAS MY PRIDE, AND NOT THE PLANE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THERE HAS BEEN NO FOLLOW UP BY FAA AT THIS POINT. HE IS EXTREMELY UPSET AND IS CONSIDERING ACTION AGAINST THE CITY AS THEY HAVE BEEN ASKED MANY TIMES BY THE FBO TO REMOVE THESE SIGNS. SIGNS ARE PLACED ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE RWY AND SERVE NO REAL PURPOSE AT THAT POS. THEY ARE ABOUT 3 FT HIGH AND CREATE A SAFETY HAZARD. FBO HAS WARNED THAT SOME DAY AN ACFT WOULD BE DAMAGED IN JUST SUCH AN INCIDENT AS OCCURRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.